4000 policemen lament delayed promotion

SOME 4,000 policemen who sat for and passed a 2015 Departmental Selection Board (DSB)  examination to move them from the rank of Inspectors to Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), but are yet to enjoy the promotion have appealed to the police hierarchy to review their case.

A letter written to the Inspector General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, and the chairman of Police Service Commission (PSC), Sir Mike Okiro, which was made available to journalists in Ilorin, Kwara State by the affected policemen, lamented that they had spent one year after passing the promotion examination, but were yet to be promoted.

The letter signed by the  spokesman for the group, Olaleye Aladesanmi expressed concern that the 4,000 officers were part of the 9,000 that passed the examination, adding that the other 5,000 had been promoted to their due ranks.

“Still wallowing in pains and ill treatment meted out to them, the yet to be promoted Inspectors to Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) who passed the 2015 departmental selection board (DSB) interview and were duly recommended have clocked one year after being left out of promotion and justice is yet to be done.

“Sir, we want to state categorically as follows: That over 13,000 inspectors attended the September 2015 board interview scheduled in different zones of the federation, reference to your publication in the police gazette and force order, that 9,000 plus passed the Departmental selection board (DSB).

“That from January 2016 to date, 5,000 officers have been promoted to substantive rank of ASP leaving about 4,000 Inspectors who also passed the departmental selection board interview behind, that it was noticed that a lot of juniors between 2011 and 2014 have been promoted leaving behind 2009 and 2010 inspectors who were due and recommended without no just cause.

“That on assumption of office, our able IGP Ibrahim K. Idris set up a committee to look into the irregularities and lopsidedness in the last promotion exercise that stirred chaos and rancour within the force termed promotion of discord by the former IGP Solomon Arase  dated 17th July, 2016 and he as well promised to promote the affected officers.

“That the quota system said to have been used in the lopsided promotion affected states like Niger, Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Ebonyi, Kogi, Ondo, Benue, Adamawa, Oyo, Edo, Delta, Cross River, Borno, Plateau, Rivers, Imo, that we are yet to know or see the outcome of the committee.

“In all fairness, to ensure equity and boost the morale of the said officers, we pray the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris, NPM, MNI and the Police Service Commission (PSC) chairman, Sir (Dr) Mike Mbama Okiro CFR, NPM,MNI (IGP Rtd.) to promote the affected officers and back date same to 1st January, 2016 with or without payment as justice delayed is justice denied,” they said.